Forced downflow hot air heater



July 16, 1957 Filed NOV. 10. 1954 E. C. SIGG ELKOW FORCED DOWNFLOW HOT AIR HEATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 2

Evan CulverSigge/lrow IN VENTOR.

July 16, 1957 E. c. SXGGELKOW FORCED DOWNFLOW HOT AIR HEATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 10, 1954 INVENTOR.

Evan CulverSigge/kaw Fig.3

United States PatentO 2,799,267 FORCED DOWNFLOW HOT AIR HEATER Evan Culver Siggelkow, Boise, Idaho, assignor to E. A. Radke, Emmett, Idaho Application November 10, 1954, Serial No. 468,063 2 Claims. (Cl. 126-110) This invention relates to a forced downfiow hot air heater which has for its primary object the efficient dissemination of heat.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a heater which has means for ensuring the convenient direction of heated air outwardly of an air exhaust at the lower portion of the heater, whereby the heated air will, by convection, be most effective in heating a room or other compartment.

One of the particular features of the invention resides in the arrangement of parts wherein the blowers which are adapted to draw air inwardly through the air intake and force the heated air outwardly through the air outlet also serve to force air into the fire box to thereby assure that the burner will burn more cleanly and efiiciently, thereby resulting in optimum operation of the heater.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in the provision of a heater that is simple in construction, strong and durable, in which the heat from the burner is directly applied onto the ends of the fire tubes, thereby assuring that the fire tubes will be heated to a sufficient temperature to properly heat the air flowing past, and which is inexpensive to produce, thereby permitting wide distribution and utilization.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this heater, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the heater comprising the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view as taken along the plane of line 22 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view as taken along the plane of line 33 in Figure 2 and illustrating the manner in which the fire tubes communicate with the firebox; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view as taken along the plane of line 44 in Figure 1.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral is used to generally designate the heating stove comprising the present invention. This heating stove includes an air intake 12 which may be provided with any suitable grill of such ornamental appearance as desired at the upper portion of the housing 14, while an air outlet 16 is provided adjacent the lower portions of the housing 14. The air outlet 16 may likewise be provided with any sort of ornamental grill as may be desired.

Positioned below the air outlet 16 and inwardly of the housing 14 is a casing 18 of the firebox 20 which is perforated as at 22. Positioned within the firebox 18 is a burner 24 fed by a suitable fuel pipe 26 connected to a source of fuel, such as oil.

Forming the top of the firebox 18 and extending across the housing 16 is a plate 28 which is apertured, as at 30, to permit passage of air therethrough. The plate 28 is also "ice provided with a plurality of apertures, such as are indicated at 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 and 42 which are of difiering size and which are in alignment with the fire tubes 44 secured to the plate 28, as by welding, and overlying the respective apertures. The heat from the burner 24 is applied directly onto the plate 28, and hence, onto the fire tubes 44 since the fire tubes 44 contact the plate 28. This assures that the tubes 44 will be heated to a considerable degree.

The upper ends of the tubes 44 are connected to a header 46 which is connected to a stovepipe 48 extending outwardly of the heating stove for disposing of the exhaust gases of combustion. As these exhaust gases rise in the fire tubes 44, the fire tubes 44 will become additionally heated. It is noted that the apertures 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 and 42 vary in size respectively in diminishing relationship substantially proportional to the distance that the tubes 44 are from the stovepipe 48, since back pressure thereon will be substantially proportional to the distance the upper ends of the tubes are from the exhaust end of the header 46. Accordingly, the sizes are proportionally reduced to prevent an excessive back pressure on the tubes farthest from the pipe 48.

Mounted above the header 46 on brackets 50 attached to the housing 14 by means of a mounting plate 52 are a pair of blowers or fans 54 and 56 preferably driven by a single motor 58 through belt drives, as at 60 and 62. The blowers 54 and 56 suck air inwardly through the air intake 12 and downwardly past the tubes 44 where the air is heated. This air is then in part directed outwardly through the air outlet 16 while part of the air enters through the apertures 22 in the perforated casing 18 of the firebox 20 so as to aid combustion so as to burn the fuel more cleanly and direct the exhaust gases of combustion upwardly through the tubes 44.

Clean-out closures64, 66 and 68 are provided for the heater 10. Further, the entire housing 14 may be mounted on threadedly adjustable legs, as at 70.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A heater comprising an elongated vertically disposed housing, an air intake portion at the upper end thereof and a heated air outlet portion adjacent the lower end portion of the housing, a firebox contained in the housing below the heated air outlet portion, said firebox including spaced perforated side wall portions inwardly disposed from opposite side Wall portions of the housing defining air passage therebetween, a top plate secured to the side wall portions of the firebox and housing, the lateral portions of the top plate including aperture portions therein communicating with the air passages between the firebox and housing side wall portions, burner means operatively carried on a lower portion of the firebox thereby heating air moving through the air passages into the firebox through the perforated side Wall portions thereof, said burner means utilizing said air for proper combustion in the firebox, said top plate including exhaust aperture portions disposed in overlying relationship to said firebox, vertically extending fire tube elements contained insaid housing in communication with the exhaust aperture portions at one end, a transverse tubular exhaust gas header in said housing communicating with the other ends of said fire tubes, said exhaust gas header being closed at one end, the other end of said header being connectible to a stovepipe outlet, the fire tubes and header defining with the side Wall portions of the housing air passage portions communicating with the lateral aperture portions of the top plate, and blower means in said housing operatively associated with the air intake portion, fire tubes and header whereby air drawn into the intake portion is heated in movement past the fire tubes and header and a portion of the heated air is urged out of the heated air outlet, the remaining portion of the heated air being available at the burner means to provide optimum combustion conditions in the firebox.

2. A heater as set forth in claim 1 wherein the exhaust apertures of the exhaust aperture portions in the top plate overlying the firebox are of diminishing size in proportion to the horizontal distance the fire tubes are disposed relative to the open end of the header, the exhaust aperture for the fire tube farthest from the open end of the header being the largest.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sears Apr. 27, 1886 Boone May 16, 1922 McCol'lum Nov. 5, 1946 Crell Nov. 28, 1950 Horn Apr. 22, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 16, 1917 Great Britain Apr. 15, 1920 

